Sweet Talk
by mistymountainrider
Summary: This is my rewrite of the scene in Torchwood from Season One, Episode 11, Combat. Originally, Owen had gone in, and the Weevil had attacked him. Jack and the rest of the team had come in, and Jack had had no choice but to shoot the Weevil in the arm. Later, Owen said, "I didn't want to be saved. It was perfectly fine until you lot came blundering in and saved me."


"Open the door. Now," Sky snapped at the man. He gave her a hard stare, then opened it.

Sky stood facing the Weevil. She remembered the man saying to look into its eyes. She did. And she saw fear. She saw fear and pain and confusion. She approached the Weevil slowly

"You're just scared, aren't you, buddy?" she murmured quietly to it. The growling of the creature quieted, and she smiled. Sky put out a friendly hand.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you, I promise. I'm going to get you out of here, okay?" she continued, walking very very slowly and quietly towards it, the sound of her voice calming the Weevil. Suddenly, it snarled and leaped at her, but she ducked quickly to the side. The Weevil's clawed fingers caught her arm, ripping the fabric of her quarter-sleeve shirt, but she showed no sign of pain.

"You didn't mean to do that. It's okay, I understand," Sky said, her voice light, ignoring the boos and shouts coming from the men watching. "You're just scared and confused. That's what they taught you to do, isn't it?" The Weevil said nothing in reply, just growled again, its upper lip curling. Sky took a step towards it, a slow, careful step.

"You're gonna be okay, I promise. I'm going to help you, okay? Get you out of here." Sky shot a glare over the Weevil's shoulder at the bald man with the electrocuter. He just smirked and shocked the Weevil, which howled in pain and outrage, before lunging for Sky again. This time it knocked her to the ground, biting into her chest.

"Stop!" The sound of Sky's relatively calm voice in the Weevil's ear made it freeze. It looked at her, its dark eyes wide, anger and pain burning in them.

"Just get up, and let me up, alright? I'll help you, but I won't hurt you. I promise," she said. She ignored the searing pain burning like fire in her shoulder. Where others would have writhed and screamed in pain, her concern for this creature was stronger than her need to express pain. She placed flat palms against the Weevil's chest, gently pushing upwards. It relented, standing, but it stumbled. Sky stood a split second later, blood dripping down her arm and splattering to the already-bloodstained floor. She ignored it.

"Shh, stay right there, okay? There are people to help you here, buddy," Sky murmured quickly when the door opened and Captain Jack Harkness came running in, shouting. She shot him a look over the Weevil's shoulder, telling him to keep quiet. He understood what she was doing, although not why, but he understood enough that him and the rest of Torchwood grabbed nearby pallets.

"Just follow me, and we're going to take you somewhere safe, okay?" Sky said, slowly backing up to the door. She opened it, and the Torchwood team made a tunnel from the cage to the door, where Ianto was waiting with the car. The Weevil went peacefully, for the most part, until it caught sight of the dark blue van waiting at the end. Sky heard its panicked growls, and turned, placing a hand on its arm.

"It's okay, we're going to take you home, alright? No more men, no more fights, no more pain. I promise," she said quietly, her voice steady. She carefully pulled the Weevil into the back of the van, sitting in the back with it, despite Torchwood's complaints. When they got to Torchwood, she led the Weevil to the basement, and into the cell, and sits in there with him, talking to him as if he could understand her and speak back.

"Skylar, come here," came Jack's voice, sounding rough to the Weevil's ears after so long listening to Sky's soft, smooth voice.

"I'll be right back, okay?" she said quietly to it, before standing and coming out of the cell.

"Jack, you need to do something. They're so misunderstood. They feel just like we do, and moreso. It can't talk, and that makes it so much worse. He can't tell them to stop, or that he's had enough. The only way he knows how to do that is by violence," Sky said in a rush, her eyes sparking blue in her anger against the discrimination.

"Skylar," Jack said her name, stopping her ramble.

"I'm serious!"

"I know you are. We'll do something about it. This one will be able to go home tomorrow."

"Really? I'll tell him. Jack, he's so lonely. He's been their captor for so long, he doesn't know what to do," Sky murmured.

"I'll find somewhere to let him go," Jack said before turning to leave. Sky thanked him, then went back into the cell with the Weevil.

"You can go home tomorrow," Sky told it with a smile.

***  
Sky watched the Weevil swing away with a sad smile. She knew she'd done a good thing, but she was sad to see him go. She watched him, before turning to Jack.

"Thank you, Jack."


End file.
